Bird of the week - Avocet

The avocet (Recurvirostrata avosetta) is an iconic bird in the story of conservation and was chosen as the symbol of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the RSPB.

The avocet was a nesting bird in the east of England in the 19th century but was lost after marshes were drained.  It returned in the 1940s when some marshes were flooded as part of the defence against a possible German invasion.  It has spread and there are now around 1500 breeding pairs in England, including up here in the North East.  This distribution map is from the Bird Atlas.

Listen to Chris Packham's BBC Radio 4 Tweet of the Day on avocets here.